Reading over the reports

Reading over the reports of this alleged JFK terror plot, I again feel the odd sense of dissonance and contradiction one always gets reading the initial reports of these alleged terror plots. A knowledgeable reader tells me the whole concept of this attack basically doesn't make sense -- in the sense that you could get the sort of chain reaction some folks on tv are talking about. And, indeed, this key fact is tepidly noted in the coverage itself, where DHS officials concede that the plot "was not technically feasible."

The relevant information from this report at CNN suggests that the key plotter, Russell Defreitas, is not a bright man.

Here's part of the transcript of one of his conversations with the FBI ...

"Anytime you hit Kennedy, it is the most hurtful thing to the United States. To hit John F. Kennedy, wow ... they love JFK -- he's like the man. If you hit that, this whole country will be in mourning. It's like you can kill the man twice."

Defreitas also appeared to think that blowing up a gas line at JFK would bring the US economy to its knees: "Even the Twin Towers can't touch it. This can destroy the economy of America for some time."